Switch stand



Feb. 17, 1925. I 1,526,561

w. PERDUE SWITCH STAND Filed June 30, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M 3 Ii '||'||H++3 L L 1 M i ATTORNEY W. PERDUE SWITCH STAND Feb. 17. 1925.

Filed June 30, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. IUNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1 7, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WHITTIER PERDUE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO RAMAPO AJAX CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SWITCH STAND.

Application filed June 30, 1924. Serial No. 723,106.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VVHITTIER Pnnnun, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch Stands, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in switch stands, and relates particularly to an improvement in the gearless or positive type of switch stand. a

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a switch stand without'gears in which the rotary movement of the operating shaft is effected by a member having a turning or rotating movement on an axis coincident with the axis of the shaft and also a turning or rotating movement on an axis normal to the shaft, whereby the shaft is rotated to adjust the target and to throw the switch points by a lever actuating said member through a crank arm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gearless connection with the shaft operatively connected to the switch points comprising a movable member mounted on the shaft itself in a bearing having relatively large bearing surfaces whereby the turning movement of the shaft is caused by direct and positive contact of said bearing surfaces and whereby independent movement of said member relative tothe shaft is permitted during the turning movement of the shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and positive mechanism comprising only a few parts, which can be manufactured at a minimum expense, whereby any reciprocating part, such as a switch point, may be actuated from a lever or other driving member through a rotating shaft without the use of gears of any kind. In the geared type of switch stand the swinging movement of the arm is translated into rotary movement of an operating or target shaft and to-and-fro movement of the switch points by intermeshing gears secured respectively to the operating shaft and to the arm. This geared construction has the marked disadvantage that any slight variation in position of the arm or lever is transmitted to the switch points by the gears and the further disadvantage that any strain on the switch vrod tends to move the hand leve and consequently the switch points. The gearless type of switch stand constructed according to my invention holds the switch points positively in place and any slight variation in the position of the lever will not affect the position of the switch points appreciably unless the actuating lever is raised to a considerably angle. Furthermore, by my construction the switch points will be brought home into their final operative po sition adjacent one of the track rails through a gradually increasing leverage and without increased effort by the operator.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; also the invention consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved form of switch stand showing the same operatively connected with a switch point that is indicated in its open position;

Figure 2 is a View showing the switch stand in side elevation with the connecting rod attached thereto;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the switch stand showing the casing broken away more clearly to disclose the construction of the actuating mechanism;

Figure 4: is a side elevation in section of the switch stand; and

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3.

The switch stand may be mounted upon supports such as extensions 1 of the track ties which carry the track rails 2 and the plates 3 for the switch points 4. The switch points may be of any desired construction,

and are connected to the switch stand by the connecting rod 5 and the bar 6 in the usual manner.

The mechanism of the switch stand is enclosed within a casing 7 and consists essentially of only three parts, comprising the shaft 8, the crank 9 and its actuating arm or lever, and the movable disk drum or head 10. The casing comprises a base 11 and a removable top or cover 12. The base is provided preferably with an inwardly projectiii-5 llU ing support-bearing 13 for a shoulder 14 upon the shaft which extends above and below the casing. The cover 12 is also pr0- vided preferably with perforated aim-ular boss 15 engaging witha shoulder 16 upon the shaft to prevent upward displacement of the shaft. The projecting upper part of the shaft may carry a target 17 or other signalling device detachably secured in the usual manner. The part of the shaft below the casing has an arm 18 mounted thereon which is attached to a connecting rod 19 to move the switch points.

The shaft 8 may be either acasting or a forging, and that portion of itwithin the easin is provided with an enlargement or head aving a central passage or opening 20 therethrough, the walls of which, are formed by the spaced apart parallel straps 21, integral with the shaft. Preferably the straps are circular in outline to provide large lateral bearing surfaces. The top and bottom of the opening are preferably rounded to provide clearances.

The movable member 10 is a disk, drum, or head, preferably circular in shape, such as a section of a round bar or casting. It is mounted in the bearing formed in the enlarged portion of the shaft, and fits neatly but not closely therein. It may have a central perforation or bearing 22 formed therein.

The drum or disk is connected with the arm which is on the outside of the casing by the crank 9 which has its inner end turned or forged to fit within the central perforation of the disk and its outer end turned or forged to seat within a bearing provided in an extension 23 of the casing. The crank is bent-at an angle of degrees adjacent the disk and is bent at a further angle of 45 degrees adjacent the inner wall of the casin said bends being in the same horizontal p ane as the ends of the crank when the switch points are fully thrown.

The actuating arm 24 is fixed to the outer end of the crank which projects through the extension bearing and on its outer end the arm is preferably provided with a weight to hold the arm in its adjusted position against accidental movement. The weight rests on a stop 25, which requires neither accurate original adjustment nor special maintenance, since a slight variation produces no appreciable effect on the switch points.

The axis of rotation of the actuating ar-n'i intersects the axis of the shaft and the vertical axis of the rotating disk. The arm is secured to the crank so that it will be in its lowermost position when the crank arm has in a horizontal plane and the switch points are in their closed position adjacent one of the track rails. In this position the crank is at dead center and holds the switch points positively in place so that any pull or push on the switch rod will neither tend to actuate the arm 2 nor to rotate the operating shaft or target.

The disk may be attached to the crank by suitable means as the washer 26 and the cotter pin 27. The switch stand is assembled by inserting the crank and the disk in their respective bearings in the casing and in the shaft, preferably as a unit, and then fastening the cover of the casing in place which holds the crank in its bearing in the extension 23. Subsequently the target is secured to the shaft and the connection made with the connecting rod, and the stand is then ready for operation.

i In operation, movement of the lever in either direction, first by lifting it and then letting it fall in the usual manner, rotates the crank arm on the axis which passes through the shaft. The movement of the disk at the beginning and end of the throw is comparatively slight, but as movement of thelever continues, the disk exerts thrust against the bearing sides of the straps and at the same time the disk rotates, thereby compensating for the downward sweep of the crank arm. Maximum rate of movement of the shaft and of the attached switch points is at or near the center of the, throw but at the point where the twisting strain on the crank is greatest the switch points are away from the track rails and free to move with the least resistance or strain upon the crank arm. As the throw continues the leverage exerted by the crank arm increases since it is approaching dead center, and at the same time the twisting strain decreases so that the switch points are brought home under their maximum strain without increased exertion on the part of the operator.

By means of this construction I am enabled to provide aswitch stand of extreme simplicity and a minimum number of wearing parts. The rotating disk presents large wearing faces or surfaces against the sides of the shaft. If the stand is properly lubricated when assembled the lubrication will last almost indefinitely in the inclosed cas ing. On account o-f'its large bearing surface the disk will need r-ough finishing only, and if it is made from a round bar an ordinary saw cut will smooth enough for its bearing faces. If the disk is a casting no finishing other than clipping off burrs or roughness is required. The bearings need not be close fitting since a little lost motion would not be injurious, and even if the parts are assembled loosely the total lost motion would be less than the amount rapidly accumulated in the geared type of switch stand owing to the wear of the gears and of the parts holding the gears in place. The ease of, assembling the stand is apparent since no fitting or adjustment is necessary. The

disk and crank can be assembled outside the casing if desired since it is necessary only to slip the disk or drum into place in the opening provided in the shaft and clamp or bolt down the cover of the casing.

No special rest for the actuating lever is required, since the usual variations in position and height of the armrest due to creeping track and other causes, makes no appreciable difference and does not affect the position of the target or the switch point.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch stand, comprising an operating shaft having an opening therethrough, a member mounted in said opening and rotatable therein, a crank arm having a bearing in said member, means for rotating the crank arm, and means connecting the switch points to said shaft.

2. In a switch stand, the combination of an operating shaft provided with an opening therethrough having parallel sides, a

inemher mounted in said opening and rotatable therein, a crank arm rotatahly secured to said member, and means for actuating said crank thereby to produce rotation of the shaft by a sliding and thrusting movement of said member.

3. In a switch stand, the combination with an operating shaft operatively connected to switch points and having a portion thereof bifurcated to form a central opening with spaced sides, of a disk rotatably mounted in said opening, a crank operatively connected to said disk, and means for actuating said crank arm thereby to cause a turning and rotating movement of said drum in different planes.

l. In a switch stand the combination of a shaft operatively connected with a switch point and having an opening therethrough with spaced parallel sides integral with the shaft, a disk mounted in said opening, a crank'mounted in said disk, and means for actuating said crank to rotate said drum on its horizontal and its vertical axes.

A switch stand, comprising a casing,

an operating shaft operatively secured to switch points mounted in the casing, bearings for the shaft on the casing, said shaft having an enlargement within the casing that is bifurcated to form opposite bearing surfaces, :1 disk having flat hearing faces engaging said bearing surfaces, a crank in said casing having a bearing in the disk and mounted to cause movement of the disk in two directions, and an arm outside of the casing for operating the crank.

6. A switch stand, comprising a casin an operating shaft mounted in the casing and operatively secured to a switch point, bearings for the shaft on the casing, a head integral with the shaft within the casing bifurcated to form opposite bearing surfaces, an annular disk having a bearing diametrically through the curved side thereof and with flat ends to engage said bearing surfaces, a crank in said casing having a bearing in the disk and in the casing and being bent at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to one bearing and at an angle of as degrees with respect to the other bearings, and means for rotating said crank to cause movement of the shaft.

7. A switch stand, comprising a split casing, an operating shaft mounted in the easing and operatively secured to a switch point, bearings for the shaft on the casing, a head integral with the shaft within the casing bifurcated. to form parallel side bearing surfaces and having curved end bearing surfaces, an annular disk having flat faces to engage said bearing surfaces, a crank in said casing having a bearing in the disk and in the casing and being bent at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the disk and at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the casing bearingand means for rotating said crank to cause movement of the shaft.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 18th day of June,

WI-IITTIER PERDUE. 

